National Land Policy

Land is the most basic of all resources available for social and economic development in Malawi. When considered in combination with water, it produces other resources including arable soils, forest, pasture, wildlife habitat and marine ecosystems valuable to people. Through the forces of nature and/or prior actions of many generations, these resources are spatially distributed in differing quantities in differing locations throughout Malawi. This distribution of land related resources is, however, not static; people have the ability to alter the mix. They can conserve or deplete existing resources or they can invest time and effort to improve the stock of certain land resources by improving accessibility.

Policy planning is a conscious effort on the part of policy-makers to achieve, via appropriate policy instruments, both national goals and specific targets for resource allocation outcome. In that sense, this national land policy, presented in the form of a coherent socio-economic policy framework, should legitimately be viewed as seeking a mechanism to promote proper stewardship of land resources for development. The policy provides a sound institutional framework for land management and introduces, among others, much needed procedures for more effective land based investment selection, land market transactions and management of development at all levels.

This policy epitomizes a vision in the political context with immense economic and social significance. The policy requires board support to accord legitimacy to the government’s attack on poverty. Nevertheless, this has to be done in a way that will not compromise the expectation of the market or ignore the realities of resource constraints. Another vital part of the development process in Malawi is empowering individual citizens and communities to take active interest in their affairs. Land policy serves as a powerful symbol and focus for that local development effort. It provides a mechanism for reconciling widely differing attitudes towards Malawi’s development challenges. It also sets forth, as a national guideline for action, the incorporation of desirable principles of land use and management, effective civic education and broad public appreciation of the constraints and tradeoffs that need to be made.